Cooling device having a slanted heat pipe

ABSTRACT

A cooling device having a slanted heat pipe. The cooling device includes a cooling fin set, a cooling substrate and at least a heat pipe. The cooling substrate is disposed at one side of the cooling fin set. The heat pipe includes an absorption region and a dissipation region. The dissipation region is disposed on the cooling fin set, while the absorption region is affixed to the cooling substrate. The heat pipe is slanted between the cooling substrate and the cooling fin set with an altitude difference. Consequently, the dissipation region of the heat pipe is located higher than the absorption region. In this manner, both the vaporized working fluid and the condensed working fluid can transfer rapidly between one end of the heat pipe to the other end. Thus, an enhanced cooling rate is obtained.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a cooling device, and moreparticularly to a cooling device that has a slanted heat pipe.

The development of modern technology has rendered faster and fastercentral processing units for computers. As the central processing unitis operated under a faster speed, more heat is generated therefrom. Inorder to dissipate heat effectively, a cooling device is often used toassist the heat dissipation process of the central processing unit, suchthat it can perform normal operation under a working temperature.

Early cooling devices are made of aluminum extrusions, which includes aplurality of cooling fins. The cooling device is installed directly onthe central processing unit or other heat sources, so as to dissipateheat generated therefrom. Later, for a faster cooling rate, a coolingfan is installed above the cooling fins. The heat generated from theheat source is then better dissipated through the convection induced bythe cooling fan. However, the cooling rate of the cooling devicedescribed above is still insufficient. Therefore, a heat conductingplate or a heat pipe is used below the cooling device. By takingadvantage of the working fluid and the capillary structure of the heatconducting plate or the heat pipe, the heat from the heat source isdissipated in a much faster rate.

Referring to FIG. 1, a sectional view of a conventional cooling device10 a is illustrated. As shown, the cooling device 10 a is installed in aslimmed electronic device, which includes a cooling bottom substrate 1a. the cooling substrate 1 a is attached to the central processing unit51 a of a motherboard 5 a. A cooling fin set 3 a is disposed on one sideof the cooling substrate 1 a. The cooling fin set 3 a includes aplurality of cooling fins 31 a stacked with each other. The cooling finset 3 a and the cooling substrate 1 a is connected via a heat pipe 2 a,thereby making the cooling substrate 1 a and the cooling fin set 3 abeing on the same horizontal level that is commensurate with thethickness of the slimmed electronic device. The heat generated from thecentral processing unit 51 a is then conducted first to the coolingsubstrate 1 a. The working fluid of the heat pipe 2 a is then vaporizedafter performing heat exchange with the cooling substrate 1 a. Thevaporized working fluid in the heat pipe 2 a then transfers thegenerated heat to the cooling fin set 3 a. The vaporized working fluidis then condensed back to the original liquid working fluid.

Since modern electronic devices are more and more miniaturized, theheight of the cooling device 10 a is also more restricted. The coolingsubstrate 1 a and the cooling fin set 3 a should remain on the samehorizontal level and the heat pipe 2 a should remain linear, so as toreduce the occupation of space and to satisfy the demand ofminiaturization. However, the heat pipe 2 a and the cooling substrate 1a being on the same horizontal level will hinder the movement of workingfluid from one end of the heat pipe 2 a to the other. Therefore, thecooling rate is severely limited due to the restricted available space.

In light of the above, the inventor of the present invention hasdeveloped a new cooling device that has a slanted heat pipe so as tosolve the problems set forth above.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a cooling device having a slantedheat pipe. The slanted heat pipe is connected between the coolingsubstrate and the cooling fin set with an altitude difference, which canenhance the cooling rate of the cooling device

The present invention is also to provide a cooling device having aslanted heat pipe, which includes a cooling fin set, a cooling substrateand at least a heat pipe. The cooling substrate is disposed on a heatsource. The heat pipe includes an absorption region and a dissipationregion. The dissipation region is disposed on the cooling fin set, whilethe absorption region is affixed to the cooling substrate. The heat pipeis slanted between the cooling substrate and the cooling fin set with analtitude difference. Consequently, the dissipation region of the heatpipe is located higher than the absorption region. In this manner, boththe vaporized working fluid and the condensed working fluid can transferrapidly between one end of the heat pipe to the other end. Thus, anenhanced cooling rate is obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional cooling device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cooling device of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the cooling device installed above a heatsource, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the cooling device installed below a heatsource, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cooling device, in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to better understanding the features and technical contents ofthe present invention, the present invention is hereinafter described indetail by incorporating with the accompanying drawings. However, theaccompanying drawings are only for the convenience of illustration anddescription, no limitation is intended thereto.

Referring to FIG. 2, a cooling device having a slanted heat pipe of thepresent invention is illustrated. As shown, the cooling device includesa cooling fin set 1, at least a heat pipe 2 and a cooling substrate 3.The cooling fin set 1 includes a plurality of cooling fins 11 stackedwith each other. The heat pipe 2 includes an absorption region 21 and adissipation region 22. The dissipation region 22 is connected to thecooling fin set 1, while the absorption region 22 is extended to connectwith the cooling substrate 3. In this particular embodiment of thepresent invention, the dissipation region 22 is bent in L-shape. A heatconducting piece 4 is disposed on the heat pipe 2 corresponding thecooling substrate 3. One end of the heat pipe 2 is then sandwiched andaffixed between the cooling substrate 3 and the heat conducting piece 4.

Referring to FIG. 3, the present invention is characterized in that thecooling substrate 3 and the cooling fin set 1 are not disposed on thesame horizontal level, which renders a altitude difference therebetween.Therefore, the heat pipe 2 is slanted. The dissipation region 22 of theheat pipe 2 is higher than the absorption region 11 of the heat pipe 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the cooling device 10 is installed in aslimmed electronic device, such as a laptop computer or a slimmedmultimedia mainframe, it is installed below the central processing unit5, such that the heat conducting piece 4 contacts the central processingunit 5.

In this manner, the heat generated from the central processing unit 5 istransferred to the cooling substrate 3 and the heat pipe 2 through theheat conducting piece 4. The heat pipe 2 can perform heat exchange withthe heat conducting piece 4 and the cooling substrate 3 simultaneously.After the heat exchange between heat pipe 2 and the cooling substrate 1,the vaporized working fluid will transfer from the cooling substrate 3to the cooling fin set 1 along the upwardly slanted heat pipe 2.According to the Archimedes principle, the vaporized working fluid willrapidly move up to the cooling fin set 1 to perform heat exchange (seethe solid arrows in FIG. 4). The cooling fin set 1 will then condensethe vaporized working fluid in the heat pipe 2 back to the liquid state.Since the heat pipe 2 is slanted downward from the cooling fin set 1 tothe cooling substrate 3, the working fluid can rapidly flow back to theabsorption region 11 of the heat pipe 2 for continuously performing heatexchange.

Referring to FIG. 5, the cooling substrate 3 is installed above thecentral processing unit 4, which makes the heat conducting piece 4contacting the central processing unit 5. The heat pipe 2 is slantedbetween the cooling substrate 3 and the cooling fin set 1 with analtitude difference. Therefore, the dissipation region 22 of the heatpipe 2 is located higher than that of the absorption region 11.

Referring to FIG. 6, the top view of the heat pipe 2 shows that the heatpipe 2 is straight. The cooling substrate 3 and the cooling fin set 1are located on a straight line. The heat pipe 2 is also slanted betweenthe cooling substrate 3 and the cooling fin set 1 with an altitudedifference, making the dissipation region 22 of the heat pipe 2 higherthan the absorption region 11 without occupying extra space within theelectronic device.

In summary, the slanted heat pipe 2 makes an altitude difference betweenthe cooling substrate 3 and the cooling fin set 1. Consequently, thedissipation region 22 of the heat pipe 2 is located higher theabsorption region 11. In this manner, both the vaporized working fluidor the condensed working fluid will be transferred rapidly from one endof the heat pipe 2 to the other end, so as to enhance the overallcooling rate of the cooling device 10.

Since, any person having ordinary skill in the art may readily findvarious equivalent alterations or modifications in light of the featuresas disclosed above, it is appreciated that the scope of the presentinvention is defined in the following claims. Therefore, all suchequivalent alterations or modifications without departing from thesubject matter as set forth in the following claims is considered withinthe spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A cooling device having a slanted heat pipe, comprising: a coolingfin set; a cooling substrate disposed at one side of the cooling finset; at least a heat pipe comprising an absorption region and adissipation region, the dissipation region being disposed on the coolingfin set, the absorption region being affixed to the cooling substrate,which is characterized in that: the heat pipe is slanted between thecooling substrate and the cooling fin set with an altitude difference,thereby making the dissipation region of the heat pipe higher than theabsorption region.
 2. The cooling device as recited in claim 1, whereina heat conducting piece is securely fastened on the heat pipecorresponding the location of the cooling substrate, thereby sandwichingone end of the heat pipe between the cooling substrate and the heatconducting piece.